Manually applicable end stop for slide fasteners



July 31, 1951* A E. CARLILE 2,562,173

MANUALLY APPLICABLE END STOP FOR SLIDE FASTENERS' Filed Sept. 20, 1946 Fig.5. Fi .7 27 2a 27 28 3351 33 4,29

Patented July 31 1951 MANUALLY APPLICABLEEND STOP Foe suns FASTENERS Alfred E. Carlile, New Britain, Conn, assignor to The North & Judd Manufacturing Company, New Britain, Conn., a corporation of- Connecticut Applicationseptember 20, 1946, Serial No. 698,235

14 Claims. (01. 24 205.11)

end stops therefor.

It is an object of this invention to provide new and improved slide fastener end stops which are manually applicable to the stringer tapes of slide fasteners whereby to avoid the necessity for special end stop attaching presses or other tools and devices.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such end stops which are formed of resilient sheet material pre-stressed in such manner that they will automatically clamp themselves to the stringers of slide fasteners when properly located manually thereon.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such end stops embodying stringer tape penetrating barbs preventing sliding of the end stops on the stringer tapes when applied and attached thereto.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such end stops each comprising similar opposed connected clamping wings provided with means adapted to maintain the aforesaid wings predeterminedl spread before attachment and adapted, after attachment, to lock the aforesaid wings together positively, in fixed tape clamping relationship.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear from the following descriptiomtaken with the accompanying drawing, and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front view of a slide fastener equipped with a manually applicable bottom end stop, formed and applied according to this invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 2,-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 33 in Fig. 1, but with the righthand stringer omitted in the interest of clear disclosure;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a flat blank for formin the end stop shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank of Fig. 4, but

with the side flanges bent or struck up, and with the tape engaging barbs struck out of the wing portions of the blank;

Fig. 6 is a view, in side elevation, of the blank of Fig. 5 as bent along transverse axes at the junction of the neck or tongue and the wings of the end stop;

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, but illustrating the bending of the end strap or wing retainer member to impart the proper stress thereto;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Figs. 6 and "7, but illustrating the position of the parts of the end stop prior to attachment to the fastener stringers, and

tions showing in elevation the end fragment of an attaching tool particularly adapted for use in facilitating attachment of the end stop; 7

Fig. 9is an enlarged view, similar to Fig. 8, but showing a subsequent position of the parts of the end step during attachment, and showing the end stop attaching tool of Fig. 8, in dash lines, in its cooperative relation with the end stop;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9, showing the end stop attached to the fastener stringers as in Figs. ,1, 2 and 3;

Fig. l1 is a View similar to Fig. 9, but showing the method of attaching a modified form of end stop, according to this invention;

Fig. 12 is a view, similar to Fig. 10 but showing the endstop of Fig. 11 in its attached position;

Fig. 13 is a View similar to Figs. 10 and 12 but illustrating the striking out of the retaining barbs from the wings of the end stop subsequent to its attachment to the fastener stringers;

Fig. 14 is a View similar to Fig. 5, but showing a modified end stop forming blank with two end straps or wing retainers, the blank being shown with the wing side flanges struck up and the retaining barbs struck out from the wing por- Fig. 15 isa view similar to Fig. 6 of the end stop forming blank shown in Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 is a view similar to Fig. 7 of the end stop forming blank shown in Figs. 14 and 15;

Fig. 17 is an enlarged view similar to Fig. 9, but illustrating the position of the parts of an end stop formed according to Figs. 14, 15 and 16 during attachment and before it is locked to the stringer tapes of a slide fastener; and

Fig. 18 is a view similar to Fig. 1'? but showing the position of the parts of the end stop of Figs. 14

, to 17 when locked to the stringer tapes of a slide fastener. J

Theslide fastener, of which a fragment is shown in Fig. 1, comprises a righthand stringer 2| and a-lefthand stringer 22 each of which stringers comprises a flexible textile or other tape 23 provided at it inner edge, in conventional manner, with an edge reinforcement 2 A row of predeterminedly equally spaced scoops or interlocking members 25 is secured to each tape edge reinforcement 24. These scoops are progressively engaged and disengaged, in conventional manner, by a slider (not shown). This slider is supported on these rows of scoops for movement thereon upwardly and downwardly for this purpose. This structure, as shown, is conventional.

Below the lowermost scoop 25,.the stringers 2| and 22 areconnected by one preferred form of bottom end stop formed and applied according to this invention and'generally designated 26 in Fig. 1. The details of this end stop 26, the blank from which it is formed, and the method of forming and attaching it to the stringer tapes are .illustrated inFig-s. l, to 10,, inclusive.

The end stop 26 comprises a front wing 21 with inturned side flanges 28 which confine the tape edge reinforcements at one side of the stringer 5 tapes 23 (Fig. 2) and a similar obverse rear wing 29 with similar side flanges 33 confining the edge reinforcements 2:; at the opposite side, these Y wings being connected by an integral neck 3| extending from the lower edge of the rear wing 29 to the upper edge of the front wing 21. A looking strap or retainer member .32 extends forwardly from the upper edge of the rear wing 29 and terminates in a flange 33 adapted to engage the upper edge portion of the front wing 21 to lock the wings 27- and 29 clampingly to the stringers 2| and 22 (see Figs. 2, 3 and Preferably, each of the wings 21 and 29 is provided with a pair of lateral-1y Spaced downwardly and inwardly directed barbs 34 struck out therefrom and adapted to penetrate the tape edge reinforcements 24, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 10. If desired, however, the barbs 34 may be omitted from one wing, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12.

It is preferred that these barbs 34 be struck out from the wings in the flat as indicated. by the blanks shown in Figs. 4 and 5, in order that the application of the end stop 26 to the stringers 2| and 22 be entirely manual; however, as shown in Fig. 13, the barbs 34 may be struck out of one or both of the wings by suitably laterally spaced pairs of opposed punches 35 after attachment of the end stop 23 to the stringers 2| and 22.

A modified form of end stop is illustrated in :Figs. 14 to 18 and is therein generally designated 26a. This end stop is similar to that form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 13, inclusive, save that it is provided with a second locking strap or retainer member 32a similar to the above described member 32 and terminating in a flange 33a similar to the above described flange 33. This member 32a extends re'arwardly from the lower edge of the front wing 21 and its flange 33a engages the lower edge portion of the rear wing 29 as shown in Fig. 18. In this modified form, the rigidity of the ats tached andlocked end stop 26a is somewhat enhanced over the form shown in Figs. 1 to 13, inclusive, by the additional connection provided between the wings 2! and 23 by the strap connector member 32a.

'In order to facilitate attachment of the form of end stop shown in Figs. 1 to 13., inclusive,.I have provided a tool 36 of which a fragmentary showing is made in Figs. 8 and 9. This toolcomprises an elongated bar preferably of width equal to, or less than, the width of the neck 3| and the member 32. A slot 31 terminates at its outer upper corner in a depending projection 38 adapted to engage the outer surface of the front wing 21. This slot 3! also defines the upper inclined edge of the triangular projection 39 which engages and spreads the wing 2'! and the tongue 3| upon exertion of thrust upwardly of stringers 2| and 22 to provide the necessary wing clearance for relatively free movement of the end stop 26 upwardly with respect to the fastener, as shown in Fig. 9.

In forming the end stop of Figs. 1 to 10, a blank as shown in Fig. 4 is stamped or cut out from a flat sheet of resilient sheet material such as steel or other suitable metal. This blank comprises the front wing portion 2'! and similar rear wing portion 29 connected by the integral neck portion 3|. The strap or retainer portion 32 extends outwardly from the free edge of one of the 7-,;

4 wing members in substantial alignment with the neck portion 3|.

The wing portions are wider than the wings of the finished end stop by an amount equalling the width of the side flanges 28 and 3D and the strap or retainer member 32 is longer than the strap or retainer of the end stop by an amount equalling the width of the retainer flange 33.

As shown in Fig. 5, in the next step the side flanges 28 are bent or struck downwardly, and the side flanges 33 and retainer flange 33 are bent or struck upwardly. The barbs 34 may, optionally, be simultaneously struck out, downwardly from the wing portion 21, and upwardly from the wing portion 23. Of course, in the form illustrated Figs. '11 and 12', the barbs 34 .are omitted from one wing portion.

Likewise, as illustrated in Fig. 13, the striking out of the barbs 33 may be entirely omitted from the above described step and deferred until after the end stop is attached to the slide fastener stringers.

After the blank has :been bent in the fiat as shown in Fig. 5, or as described above, it is bent along the junction of the neck 3| and the wings 2 and 29 substantially to the Z-section form shown in Fig. 6. In'this state, the wings are disposed closer than in their final position when the end stop is attachedto the stringers (Figs. 1., 2 and 3) whereby, when they are in their finalposi- 'tion, they clampingly engage the stringer tapes with substantial force.

In order to facilitate manual positioning of the end stop upon the stringer tapes, the wings must be more widely spread than in Fig. 6. For this purpose I utilize the strap member 32 as a prop or spreader.

In order to .pre-stress the membe 32 for this purpose and also to insure that it shall remain snugly in position as shown in Figs. 3 and 10, the wing members 2-! and 2-9 .are temporarily forced apart to facilitate bending of the strap member 32 toward the wing member 29 to an acute angle as shown in Fig. 7.

When the Wing members 2.! and '29 are thereafter released the. parts take substantially the position of Fig. 8 wherein the upper ends of the wing members are spread apart a distance greater than the tape thickness. The end stop. ma be then manually and threadedl forced upwardly on the tapes since the barbs 34 extend downwarlly and will :not dig intothe edge reinforcements as they move upwardly over them.

When the end stop 26 in. the form of Fig. 8 has been moved upwardly until it engages the lowermost scoop .25, it may be moved or forced downwardly of the tapes suiiiciently to set it on the tapes by reason. of the, penetration of the edge reinforcements by the barbs 34 which, thereafter, effectively prevent relative movement between the end stop and the supporting tapes.

As shown in Fig. 11, the omission of barbs from the front wing 21 facilitates, manual attachment although the security ofattachment isdependent entirely upon the barbs 34 of the rear wing 29.

As shown in Fig. 13, and as pointed out above, the barbs 33 may be omitted from both wings 2-7 and 29 before attachment for utmost facility of manual attachment. In such case the barbs are struck out by'opposed dies after attachment of the-end-stop 26 t o -thestringer tapes.

As an alternative, as shown in Figs. 14 to. 18, the end stop may be provided with straps or retainers, 32 and 32a, at both ends. Such provision facilitates manual threaded attachment as shown in Fig. 1'? since the two props provided bythe members 32 and 32a maintain the wings 21 and 29 parallel and sufficiently widely spaced to permit this manual placement without interference from thebarbs 34. l I

The end stop of this embodiment is formed from a flat blank similar to thatof Fig. 4 but provided with strap portions at both ends, the respective flanges being bent or struck up and down as shown in Fig. 14 before the blank is bent as in Fig. 15, the wings spread as in Fig. 6 and the straps or retainers 32 and 32a bent as therein shown. Upon release of the spreading force the parts take the position shown in Fig. 1'7.

In either case, when the end stop is manually positioned on the tape as shown in Figs. 9 and 17 wherein the retainer member 32, or retainer members 32 and 32a, prop or spread the wing members 21 and 29 apart, application of squeezing pressure to force the wings 21 and 29 together, manually or otherwise, will cause the retainer flanges 33, or 33 and 33a, to ride upon the engaged surface of the neck 3! as upon a track, until they pass over the bend or bends at the junction or junctions of the neck 3| with the adjacent wing or wings whereupon the flange 33 will snap over into the position of Figs. and 18 effectively to lock the wings together in predetermined clamping spaced relation.

It is, of course, to be understood that the above description is merely illustrative and in nowise limiting and that I'desire to comprehend within my invention such modificationsas is included within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a manually applicable end stop for slide fasteners of the class described, a pair of wings engaging opposite sides of the stringer tapes of a slide fastener when attached thereto for clampingly securing said stringer tapes therebetween, and an integral neck extending between the upper edge portion of one of said wings and the lower edge portion of the other wing, said wings and said neck being formed of resilient sheet material and being so pre-stressed as to secure substantial tape clamping pressure between said wings, and means for retaining said wings in fixed tape clamping engagement when applied to said tapes comprising a strap member integral with one of said wings and terminating in a retaining flange, said strap member extending between said wings with said retaining flange firmly engaging the outer surface of the other wing for locking said wings in predetermined tape clamping position when attached to said tapes.

2. In a manually applicable end stopfor slid fasteners of the class described, a pair of wings engaging opposite sides of the stringer tapes of a slide fastener when attached thereto for clampingly securing said stringer tapes therebetween, and an integral neck extending between the upper edge portion of one of said wings and the lower edge portion of the other wing, said wings and said neck being formed of resilient sheet material and being so pre-stressed as to secure substantial tape clamping pressure between said. wings, and means for retaining said wings in.

fixed tape clamping position after attachment, comprising ,an integral strap member extending from an edge of each of said wings and each terminating in a retaining flange, each of said strap members after attachment extending between said wings with each of said retaining flanges engaging the outer surface of the other wing, and said strap members being so pre-stressed as to spread both ends of said wings before attachment for facilitating manual attachment of said end stops to slide fastener stringer tapes.

, 3.In a manually applicable ,end stop for slide fasteners of the class described, a pair of wings engaging opposite sides of thestringer tapes of a slide fastener when attachedthereto for clamps ingly securing said stringer tapes therebetween, and an integral neck extending between the upper edge portion of one of said wings and the lower edge portion of the other wing, saidwings and said neck being formed of resilient sheet material and being so pre-stressed as to secure sub,- stantial tape clamping pressure between said wings, and means for retaining said wings in fixed tape clampin engagement, comprising a V strap memberintegral with one of said wings and terminating in a retaining flange, said strap member'extending between said wings with said retaining flange firmly engaging the outer surface of the other wing to lock said wings together after attachment, said strap member being so pre-stressed as to spread the adjacent ends of said .Wings before attachment for facilitating manual attachment.

4. In a manually applicable end stop for slide fasteners of the class described, a pair of wings engaging opposite sides of the stringer tapes of a slide fastener when attached thereto for clampingly securing said stringer tapes therebetween, and an integral neck extending between the upper edge portion of one of said wings and the lower edge portion of the, other wing, said wings and said neck being formed of resilientsheet mate.- rial and being so pre-stressed as to secure substantial tape clamping pressure between said wings, and means for retaining said wings in fixed tape clamping position after attachment comprising an integral strap member extending from an edge of each of said wings and each terminating in a'retaining flange, each of said strap members after attachment extending between said wings with each of said retaining flanges engaging the outer surface of the other wing, and said strap membersbeing so pre-stressed that the flanges thereof engage said neck and spread both ends of said Wings before attachment for faciliating manual attachment of said end stops toslidefastener stringer tapes, said flanges riding over'said neck during attachment into engagement with an outer end surface of a wing for locking said wings together in tape clamping position.

5. In a manually applicable end stop for slide fasteners of the class described, a pair of wings engaging opposite'sides of the stringer tapes of a slide fastener whenattached thereto, an integral neck extending between the upper edge portion of one of said wings and the lower edge portion of the otherwing, said wings and said neck being formed of resilient sheet material and being so pre-stressed as to secure substantial tape clamping pressure between said wings when said stop is attached to 'said tapes, and integral locking means functioning'to spread said wings sufficiently to facilitate manual placement on said tapes before attachment and to lock said wings positively together in tape clamping relation after attachment. 1

6. The structure defined in claim 5, wherein said last named means comprises a pre-stressed strap member extending from one wingandtr-fminating in a retaining flange engaging said neck [be-fore attaclnnent to prop said wings apart, rid.- ing on said neck during attachment, and engaging the outer surface of the other wing after attachment.

7. The structure defined in claimv 5, wherein said last named means comprises a strap member extending from each wing adapted for engagement with the other wing fixedly to secure said wings in predetermined spaced relation at each end.

8:. A manually applicable end stop for slide fasteners including complementary edge reinforced stringer tapes, said end stop comprising a pair of opposed wing members each engaging one of the opposite sides of said stringer tapes when attached thereto and each having tape edge reinforcementconfining side flanges, an integral neck connecting said wings and extending between the upper edge portion of one of said wing members and the lower edge portion of the other, said wing members and said neck being formed of resilient sheet material and being pre-stressed for clampingly engaging slide fastener stringer tapes between said wing members when said stop is attached thereto, and means comprising inwardly projecting tape penetrating barbs for preventing sliding movement of said end stop with respect to said stringer tapes in at least one direetion when attached thereto.

9. A manually applicable end stop for slide fasteners including complementary stringer tapes with edge reinforcements, said end stop comprising a pair of opposed wing members each having tape edge reinforcement confining side flanges, an integral neck connecting said wings and extending between the upper edge portion of one of said wing members and the lower edge portion of the other wing member, said wing members and said neck being formed of resilient sheet material and being pre-stressed for clampingly engaging slide fastener stringer tapes, anchoring means comprising inwardly projecting tape edge reinforcement penetrating barbs for preventing sliding movement of said end stop with respect to said stringer tapes when "attached thereto, and locking means including an integral strap member extending from one of said wing members and pre-stressed in such manner as to maintain said wing members spread apart beyond a predetermined distance before attachment to slide fastener stringer tapes and to clampingly lock said wing members positively together in tape clamping position when said end stop is attached to slide fastener stringer tapes.

10. The structure defined in claim 9, wherein said anchoring means comprises barbs extending inwardly from each wing member into the space therebetween and directed toward the end of said end stop opposite the scoops of the slide fastener.

11. The structure defined in claim 9, wherein said anchoring means comprises barbs extending inwardly from each wing member into the space thereb'etween in a direction away from the scoops on said stringer tapes and wherein said locking means comprises a strap member extending from each of said wing members whereby the freeportions'cf sa'id stringer tapes beyond the ends of said rows of scoops extending-between said wings and being clampingly engaged there by and said neck and said locking means extending between the adjacent reinforced-stringer tape edges. T

13. In a method of manually attaching to the edge reinforced stringer tapes :of a slide fastener an end stop of the class described comprising opposed wing members formed of resilient sheet material with tape-edge reinforcement confining side flanges, said wings being connected with an integral neck and having an end strap extending from one Wing toward the other wing and terminating in a retaining flange, pre stressing the structure comprising wings and connecting neck to such degree as to secure tape clamping force therebetween when said end stop is attached, spreading said wings and pre-stress ing said endstrap to such degree that its retain ing flange will engage said neck and prop one end of said wings apart sufficient for ready passage :of said stringer tapes therebetween, manually placing said end stop substantially in position on said stringer tapes, applying squeezing force to said wings to cause the retaining flange on the end strap to slide outwardly along the neck and snap over onto the outer end surface of the opposite wing whereby fixedly to secure said wings together in stringer tape clamping relation, and thereafter striking out tape penetrating barbs from at least one of said wings for preventing endwise movement of saidend stop;

14. In a method of manually attaching to the edge reinforced stringer tapes-ofa slide fastener an end 'stop of the class described comprising opposed wing members formed of resilient sheet material with tape edge reinforcement confining side flanges, said wings-being connected with an integral neck and having an end strap extend ing from each wing toward the other wing and terminating in a. retaining flange, pres-tressing the structure comprising wings and connecting neck to such degree as to secure tape clamping force therebe'tween when said end stop is attached, spreading said wings and-pre-stressing said end straps to such degree that they engage said neck and propboth ends ofsaid wings apart suiiicient for ready passage of said stringer tapes therebetwee-n, placing said end stop substantially in position on said stringer tapes, applying squeezing force to said wings to cause the retaining flanges on the end straps to slide outwardly along the neck and snap over onto theou-ter end surfaces of the =opposite' wings whereby fixedly to lock said wings-together in stringer tape clamping relation, and thereafter striking out tape penetrating barbs from at least one of said wings for preventing endwise movement of said-end stop.

ALFRED E. CARLILE.

REFERENCES CIT-ED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

I UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

